THE SON OF HIS FATHER

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 221, 23 October 1909, Page 3

THE SON OF HIS FATHER

A PATHETIC LITTLE'-STORY OF \ SLAVE'S DEVOTION. , (By Hall Caiue.).

When 1 was in I'pner Egypt tiro years ago I saw a good deal of Charles Xeufeld, who took me .through the native quarters at Assouan, and otherwise helped ine in the gathering of what is called "loeal color" for "The White Prophet.''

One day, sitting in the gai/en of his mill-house on the I'dgc of the desert,, lie told me a story which touched me deeply. It was about a black boy who in the old bad days had been the slave, of a cruel master. The boy ran away and came to Neufeld,who was'tiien Jiving with his family oulsihc Assouan. Unwilling to offend the master, Neufeld took the boy bacK. Hut the boy ran away a second time, and again Xeuiold took him to his master. A third time the boy ran away, and .coming to Neufeld he told a 'pitiful story of the cruelties inflicted upon him, "But whv do you come to me?" asked Xeufeld. " "Are you not my father';" asked the boy, in'the language and spirit of tfa-> East. Deeply touched by this. Neufeld went over to the master and said; "The boy doesn't wish to nay with you ami he will only give you, trouble,, How much did he cqst von J" ''Ten pounds," answered the toaster. 'Then hero am join ten pounds,"said Xeufeld. "Write a paper saying you relinquish all right* in tiic ooy," The master wrote the paper,, .mid Neufeld took it home, endorsed it with a statement of tile boy's ciiiaucipa'tion, and then gave' it to Hie boy, saying: "Now you arc free, and you' can go a'wuy and earn your living wherever iiil! pKnse." "Hut I don't want to go away--J want to stay with you," said the boy. So the boy stayed in Xcul'c'ld'« family and worked as a M'rvant. 'Time passed, Xeufeld went nil' to the war, was arrested by Hie Dervishes and held cHplive'at Omdiirniuu for twelve years. When Lord Kitchener entered the dirty, disgusting city of the Khalifa, lie found Xeufeld in chains, anil liberated him, Xeufeld returned to Assouan. Many tragic incidents had happened to him while he was away, and iie had forgotten all about the boy, {Jut meantime the boy (now grown to be a man) had been working to kc?p Ncul'cld's family, and when the cmniripatcd prisoner came back the black fellow was overwhelmed with joy, Xeufeld saw aim kissing his' hand, and said; 1 "Who arc you, my hoy?" Then the hoy burst into a llotid of tears,

"Donf you know me, father?" he said. "I am votir son,"